2019 could be a make-or-break year for Stroll

Lance Stroll believes he has what it takes to impress at Racing Point in 2019 after a tough start to his Formula One career. The Canadian will partner Sergio Perez at the rebirthed Force India team, the Mexican providing a very interesting benchmark for his younger teammate to beat.

Stroll has struggled since joining Formula One with Williams in 2017, the Canadian has had to deal with an underperforming car for much of his career but another disappointing year could spell trouble.

His 2018 teammate Sergey Sirotkin was able to give him more than a run for his money in what was the Russian's rookie season. Stroll will be hoping he can handle the pressure in 2019 in his step up to Racing Point.

Despite criticism of his ability and doubt as to whether he can make it in F1, the 20-year-old believes that he has made improvements since joining Formula One two seasons ago.

“I do believe that I’m a more complete driver than I was one year ago,” he said.

“I just haven’t been able to demonstrate that due to the package, which is the nature of the sport. Some years it goes like that and you have to accept that as a driver.”

Williams chief technical officer Paddy Lowe believes that Stroll may have entered F1 too early for his own good and that it may have hurt his development as a racing driver.

“With Lance, his second year in Formula 1, my personal view is that in hindsight he came into Formula 1 too early,” Lowe told RACER. There are a number of reasons for that, but I think he would have been better to come a year later when he was better prepared.”